Home additions are necessary when your available living space seems to shrink as your family continues to grow. Living in cramped quarters can often trigger a situational ultimatum – should you stay or should you go? We touched on this conundrum in a previous article entitled “Major Toronto Home Renovation Or Move?”

Benefits of Toronto Home Additions

Many people in Toronto have found a home addition to be a terrific idea for several reasons:

The cost of a low-rise home in Toronto has surpassed 1 million dollars. In the Toronto seller’s market, buying a new home is anything but affordable. Home additions can be more economical than moving.

With more square footage, you will likely experience far less clutter and congestion in other areas of your home.

A home addition provides the opportunity to really transform your home and lifestyle.

If you are in the GTA and looking at different home addition options to expand the size of your home, here are some popular home addition options:

1. Second Floor Additions

If the size of your property isn’t enough to expand outward, then perhaps it is time to look upward. Granted, adding a second story will be costlier than some of the other ideas on this list, but it has the potential to increase the value of your home.

We at Bryant Renovations have over 30 years of experience in constructing additions. Contact our architects & designers to help you navigate the often-onerous City of Toronto Building Department regulations. We understand fully the zoning procedures that your home must comply with, as well as all city neighbourhood zoning by-laws that are required for any type of addition. We are also extremely well-versed in applying for zoning variances to obtain permission – if required.

2. Basement Additions

Some older homes in Toronto have basements with very low ceilings or may not have a basement at all. In those instances, lowering of the basement could be an avenue to explore.

You may be one of the many Toronto homeowners whose property has a huge amount of potential. Your cold, empty, unfinished basement can be transformed into a home theatre, playroom, fitness centre or who knows? Your imagination is your only limitation. In a previous article entitled “Getting the Most Out Of Your Basement Renovation” we took a more indepth look at some of these amazing ideas.

Many Toronto homeowners are learning that their basement has income potential. Once the basement has been renovated to the necessary building code requirements for rental units – it can be rented at a market value that could significant impact your mortgage.

3. Garage Additions

The winter months can be tough on your car. The mixture of salt, extreme cold weather, and ice can add some serious years onto your vehicle. If you have the space, an attached or detached garage may be an excellent choice.

You may consider adding a ‘granny-flat’ above your garage. This could be another revenue source for your family, provided, your actual Granny chooses to not live with you. 😊

4. Sunroom or Three Season Room Addition

3-Season Rooms will fill your home with light and allow you to appreciate the nature in your backyard from the comfort of the indoors. 3-Season rooms are great because they are the most cost effective way of adding space to your home.

There are many ways a sunroom can be customized to fit your exact needs. Your 3-Season room could easily become a four season room if your choose to insulate and heat it during the winter, it could be your indoor porch, or your personal greenhouse.

5. Decks & Patios

When winter starts to wind down, there is nothing more exciting than getting the patio up and running again. There are several ways a patio can be customized to turn any backyard into a summer barbecue destination.